Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-11-18
LIFE IN THE SEWERS.
A scribe's Talk with New York Man
hole Man.
Especial Correspondence

hole Man.
Especial Correspondence
NEW YoEE, Nov. 3.-Thele was man.
hole open on Broadway late one night not
long ago. A narrow but strong ladder
ran through 1t into the darkness under
the street. and on the pavement was
heavy built and powerful man hol'ing
tic top round with one hand and q danger
lantern with the other A half hour
passed in this way, and then up out Of
the circular shaft came II second man.
lie WAS clad in long and muddy rubber
boots that reached up to his waist; Il thin
and very dirty waterproof coat that but
toned close around the neck and reached
to the knees; a wet and dilapidated SLOUGH
hat from whose rear the water trickled
and invisible but very noticeable overalls
of sewer gas. AS they drew up the ladder
and replaced the r'antole cover tho writer
accosted them and entered into converse
ton.
NO, it is not hot nor unpleasant down
there" said Tie man who had just
emerged from subtcI New York;
at is just the opposite, cool and comfort
allie. People lave odd notions about
St Ners, and the doctors and the sanitary
engineers ind plumbers scare them into
fits with all sorts of nonsense about sewer
gas. or course there are now and then
bad smells in the mains and culverts, but
You get used to that after you have been
in the bus ness II month md after four or
five you come to like them first rate. I've
been a manhole man nearly fifteen years
now, and, barring u bad head in the morn
ing after I'd been ont late the night before
with the boys, I've never been e.ck III all
that time. 1t ought to be = healthy bust
ness. All the water the Croton aqueduct
brings down into the city is sent out
through the sewers, and all they get from
nrtesian wells, drivers and pumps goes
the same way. Then there is the rain
and snow. Altogether the mains are quite
clean and decent.
People have IN idea that the sewers
are all alike and ere all as quiet as n grave
yard That's all wrong. All the sounds
of the city travel we'll in the mains, and
especially those Of the newspaper presses,
dynamos and other machinery they usually
work in cellars. Then it is all alive down
tnerc-mice in many districts, house rats
and water rats everywhere. and there are
| n few cats down there--livc cats. In the
! water there are cells and sometimes crabs
| and other fishes and water bugs. They
| feed we'll and are notoftcn hungry. Some
times they are, though, and when you run
upon them suddenly, they'll fcht and bite
and make II lively time of it for you. The
sewers are funny place. IN some places,
where the house pipes enter, there is al
ways e"cap.ng steam from boilers in the
ncishborloo and it Is just like II Russian
| bath. II Others the mains of the heating
| companies come too near and the walls
are so hot that 1t is almost furnace.
! Then new thing is electricity leaks.
| These happen mostly down town. Some
wire is ont Of order and the current gets
! loose. Generally You find it out by sud
! den shock, but sometimes, when your
lantern goes out, you will see the strangcst
| kinds of blue fires and Lights all around
! you.
! "Wcre you ever in California; Well,
! the water down in the mains does Just the
same thing as In the gold plGcers. 1t
washes away all the light and floating
| stuff, VI course. Then it washes away by
degrees the dirt and sand on the bottom,
and leaves heavy stuff Ike Pins, needles,
nails and such. That's where all the pins
and needles go TO. There ere millions of
! them in the sewers. They are no good to
anybody, and they give us lots OF trouble
in digging them Up and in dGmming back
! the Eswcr water. Besides these there are
balls which the boys lose when playing in
the streets, and the bats, sticks and
broorls they drop in trying to FISH the ball
out. Sometimes yon run across lead pipes,
| brass faucets, punches or keys, O mmy
| or bulldog that burglar or thief has
dropped when he thought he was corncrcd
| by the police. How some things gettlere
! can't cHrlain--a crowbar, rake or shovel,
n board or barrel, n box of cigars or a
! dcnijohn, bottles and bundles Of clothes.
These may have been put thoro by Il thief
or Il crank, or practical joker; you can
never tell which. Olcc in awhile you run
across tho body or the bones OF Il Little
baby. OF course. It Is the old yarn of sin
and shame, poverty aud crime; or it may
be the work OF some good for nothing
young sawb0nes. The funniest thing l
ever struck in the sewers was a live dude
He was terribly drunk and horribly scared.
! came around about 3 O'Clock in the
morning, and he was yelling murder and
crying aud swearing all ct oucc. lie
didn't look Ike dude, however, as you
couldn't tell Inn from mud lie wouldn't
tell US whether he was drunk Gud fell
in by accident, or il be was off on n spree
anil got thrown in by his friends for O
larE. lie wasn't bal fellow altogether
IS he gave US Il teuncr to keep it quiet.
K